Cover for electric batteries.



H. JV. BREWER.. COVER ECR ELECTRIC BATTERIES.

APPLICATION FILED MAY'29, 1908.

Patented 001:. 6, 1908.

Z SHEETS-SHEET 1.

H. J. BREWER. 1 -COVER FOR ELECTRIC BATTERIES.

APPLICATION FILED MA'Y 29, 1908.

vPatented 0011. 6, 1908.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 'nonarro J nnnwnn, 0F New YORK, N. Y

To all'whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Homme' J. BREWER, a citizen of the United States, residing in the borough of` Manl'iattanwcity county, and State of New-Yorlghave invented certain new and useful Improvements in Coversfor ElectricBatterieaof which the following is a specification'. t

My'invention is designed to facilitate and simplify the operation of assembling the parts of batteries in which the electrodes are supported upon and suspended from the cover of the jar; also to effeetthe inclination of the positive zinc rod electrode with'relation to and away from thenegative electrode for the purpose of guarding against contact between the electrodes when in their normal positions,

and eliminating or reducing' the dangerof deleterious local action with thebattery; and 1n this connection my object is also to .adapt the cover to the requirements of negative electrodes, of diiiierent characters Vvand slzes, as hereinafter more fully set forth.

The invention consists in the specific construction described and claimed.

.In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1, 1s a sectional elevation of the upper portion of a battery jar illustratingthe use of my im* proved cover with a carbon negative electrede carrying slabs of agglomcrate; Fig. 2, is a sectional elevation of a battery jar provided with my improved cover and showing a negative lelectrode consisting of a carbon `surrounded with a bag of depolariaing mate rial; Fig, 3, is atop view of the cover; Fig. 4, a view of the under side. of the cover; Fig. 5, is an edge viewof the'oover looking toward the entrance to the electrode slot; Fig. 6, is a like view of the cover and an edge view of the flat carbon negative electrode placed therein with its shoulders resting upon the edges of the receiving slot.

In the class of batteries to which my invention appertains the negative electrode consists of a 'carbon plate N, the upper portion n, ot' which is broad and Hat and is formed with horizontal shoulders n', n', below the head n2, to which the binding post b, is attached. Qn the lower portion of the negative carbon plate N; are supported either slabs of agglornerate c, e, as in Figs'. l and 6, or a bag e', containing suitable depolarizing material as in Fig. 2. In assembling the parts in the formercase the lower portion of the flat carbon plate N, which is of uniform width and thickness,A has heretofore been first CCW/'ER` FOR ELECTRIC BATTERIES.

i d Specification of Letters Patent. p l application tiled May 29, 1908. Serial No. 435,625.

Patented Oct. 6, 1908.*

passed through a slot in thecover and the .i

Slabs a, a, of'agglomerate afterwards applied to the lower portion of the carbon plate, such ,application of the slabs a, a, being impeded and rendered inconvenient by reason ofthe presence oi the cover, loose upon the upper portion of the carbon plate N. In thelatter case, the bag of depolarizing material forms a part of the negative electrode as prepared for themarket, and this form of electrode cannot be applied to the cover heretofore used with the fiat carbon plate carrying the slabs of agglomerate a, c, a com aratively expensive two part cover of specia construe/- tion having It is one of the objects of my invention to dispense with this special cover, and toafford a cover adapted to the reception and heretofore been provided for this partie Iar form of negative electrode,

support of either of the completed forms of I.,

more simple and convenient. With this end ,negative electrode above referred to, andat ,the same time to render the application of either t0, or its removal from, the cover in view I form my improved coverC, witha radially arranged carbon receiving slotc, which is formed with a mouth oropening through the edge or rim c, of the cover, so that the broad ilat portion at, of either forni of negative electrode may be passed laterfally edgewise into said receiving slot c, in such manner as vto bring the transverse shoulders n', f/t, on the carbon plate into proper relation to the upper edge ofthe receiving slot c, for the support of the electfede when the cover is applied to the mouth of-the jar J, in the usual manner. The rim j, of the jar J, under these conditions closes the mouth c', of the receiving slot c, and locks the negative electrode in position. If it is desired to remove or replace either form of negative electrode from the cover or to substitute agglomerato slabs a, a, on the car- `bon plate N, it is only necessary to lift the cover C from the iar, when the change may be uickly and convcnientl eii'eoted.

lglie cover C qonsists ot a suitable Inaterial molded or pressed into shape, so that the axes of the holes c3, c", for the positive zinc electrode arenecessarily at right angles to the plane of the cover 1n order to give In other words it is not commercially Q i andere same time it is most desirable to obviate as far as possible the danger of contact between the zinc and the negative electrode. For this reason I make the holes c3, ci, for the Zinc rod Z, considerably larger in diameter than the diameter of said rod, and formthe top'of the cover adjoining each of said holes c3, c, with a bearing surface cx, cx, inclined downward toward the center of the cover C. As a result when the zinc rod Z is inserted in either hole, with its lower washer z (which constitutes practically an annular shoulder on the zinc rod) resting against said inclined surface cx, the longitudinal axis iof the rod will be inclined away from the negative electrode, as shown in Figs. l and 2, of the drawings, and danger of contact between the electrodes and of undesirable internal action in the battery will be reduced to the minimum. 4

The degree of inclination of the zinc rod Z, willdepend upon its length and center of gravity, which latter, owing to the size of the holes c3, c4, will assume aposition in a vertical line coincident with the point of highest contact ot' the shoulder on thc zinc with the cover, the inclination oi the bearing surface cx, eX, being made to correspond to or approximate planes at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the zinc when thus inclined. f

Two holes c3, c4, are formed in the cover having inclined mouths or openings at diilcrent distances from the center of the cover on the portion thereof opposed to that in which the receiving slot c, is formed, and preferably in line with the'latter, so as te attain a suitable separation of the convergent. positive zinc yelectrode and the negative electrode,- the outer hole c4, being designed for use with the comparatively large bag electrode as vshown in'Fig. 2, although it is obvious that if preferred the outer hole c4, may be used for the zinc when the other i'orm of negative electrode shown in Fig. 1, is employed, to attain a maximum degree of separatidhvwhen desired, in either case the inclined bearing surface cx, performs an important service in causing the divergence of the zinc rod away from the negative element, which is an im portant practical advantage, in that it les* sens the danger of actual contact between the electrodes and tends to prevent short circuit or local action within the battery.

The hole not used for the zinc is corked up, and may hc used when necessary for the in- 'troduction of liquid t0 replenish that in the liar.

What l claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is, 1. In an electric battery of the character designated, the combination with the rim of the rnouth of the jar of a cover formed with a slot for the carbon negative plate, said slot extending through the edge of the cover for the reception of said carbon negative plate, and said carbon negative plate formed with a broad ilat portion ada )ted to iit in said slot in the cover, and with atcral shoulders adapted to rest upon the u per edges oi said slot, for the purpose descri ed.

2. ln an electric battery of the character designated, the combination with the jar of a cover formed with a radially arranged slot For the reception of the carbon negative plate, said carbon negative late formed with shoulders resting upon t ie edges of said rn,- dial slot, a hole'ior the positive zinc rod elec trode formed in th'e cover on the side thereof opposed to that in which said radial slot is formed and of a diameter suiiciently larger than that of the Zi* i electrode 'ro admit of the inclination of the longitudinal axis of the latter', the surface of the cover around the month ol said hole being inclined toward the center of the cover, and said positive zinc rod electrode provided with an annular shoulder thereon occupying a plane at right angles to the longitudinal axis of? the rod and engaging with said inclined surface on the top of the cover, for the purpose described,

HORATIO J. BREWER. wWitnesses:

D. W. GARDNER, GEO. WM. MVr/rrr. 

